VFX/animation studio DNEG promotes Chas Jarrett to creative director

London-based VFX and animation studio DNEG has promoted Chas Jarrett to creative director.

Chas Jarrett

Jarrett joined DNEG as senior VFX supervisor in 2019. As creative director, he will partner with directors and filmmakers to leverage the company’s creative capabilities and innovative technology in service of their projects, while helping to maintain and build upon the company’s working relationships with its studio clients.

Jarrett will also support the progression and development of DNEG’s artists and represent its creative teams at executive level.

He will replace existing creative director Paul Franklin, who will continue to provide guidance and direction to DNEG’s clients and teams as a visual effects consultant.

Franklin will also focus on the development of new and original scripts and is attached as director on a number of DNEG’s projects that are currently in development

DNEG said Jarrett’s promotion provided further executive-level support for its strategic direction and worldwide growth initiative as the company targets an expanded international headcount benchmark of 10,000 employees within the next 12 months.

The growth plan also explores further opportunities in content development and production, and in adjacent markets such as gaming and metaverse applications.

Jarrett has over 20 years’ experience in the entertainment industry, including 13 years as a client-side production VFX supervisor, with credits including Disney’s live-action version of Aladdin, Logan, Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes films and Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd.

He is also an active software developer, currently working with an in-house team at DNEG on the development of xSTUDIO, a new playback and review tool that DNEG intends to release as an open-source project later this year.

Most recently, Jarrett was production VFX supervisor on the movie adaptation of video game franchise Uncharted for Sony Pictures.